Stress
by Tripenguinman
Summary: Skipper as gone after Blowhole, trying to get info on Blowhole's new weapon. But soon friends become enemies as the animals become mindless slaves of Blowhole's will. Contains spoilers.
1. Prologue

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STRESS

PROLOGUE:

Marlene continued cleaning, even as the thunder rolled overhead and she felt her stomach jump. She looked out as the rain fell, soaking her fur.

"When are you going to be back, Skipper?" Marlene asked the sky.

The thunder boomed back.

"Oh well…" She said, turning back to cleaning.

Skipper had left to get some Intel on Dr. Blowhole a couple of days ago. He thought Blowhole had developed a new type of weapon. Skipper and the penguins had some kind of imagination. C'mon. Dr. Blowhole? A super evil dolphin? Suddenly a loud crack of lightening erupted and she flew under her covers and peered out. The lightening silhouetted a penguin-like figure in the cave-opening.

"Skipper?" She said.

The lightening flashed again and it was Skipper she saw. He flipped on the light, a vacant kind of look in his eyes. He stood there for a moment, slouching over instead of standing up right like he always did. His face twitched and his beak open, as though he was trying to say something but nothing would come out. He stepped forward awkwardly, tripping about and almost falling.

"Skipper?" Marlene said. "Are you alright?"

He twisted his head a little, as though some way of saying no but she couldn't be sure. He tripped again and stumbled in front of her. Now she could see the deep grooved scars across his flippers and body, pink and shining, freshly made, maybe a few days ago. There was blood dripping from some cuts and his feathers looked slightly singed at closer examination.

"Skipper," she said, staring at his beaten body. "What's happened to you?"

"Marlene," he managed to say through gulps of air. "You've gotta run…"

"I don't understand, why?" She touched his chest and he shrunk back and then stood up again.

"It's- it's almost twelve' o' clock." He gasped, as the first bell rang.

He shrank, gripping his head and letting out a moan as the bells chimed. He spun his head a little, shivering as they rang.

"Skipper," Marlene said. "What's wrong?"

"Run!" He shouted, looking up, his eyes wild, the pupils were raging like a supernova. Fire was burning in them and he let out a scream as he wrapped his flippers around her throat and squeezed…

You'll find out what's happening in the chapters to come.


	2. Chapter 1

Please enjoy and the methods used in this story are totally possible.

STRESS

CHAPTER ONE

TWO DAYS PREVIOUSLY…

Skipper licked some fish coffee from the end of his beak and sighed. His eyelids were falling fast and he felt the grip of sleep at the back of his brain. He shook his head and took another sip. It was 3'o'clock in the morning. He had looked at the clock at least four times in the last four seconds. It seemed to be stuck on two. He was awake at this hour because he needed information. Yes information on Blowhole. The mastermind had sent Fred the squirrel to attack them not long ago, which the dumb squirrel had done without question and was now in Kowalski's lab, in a fetal position, and he flinched at the slightest blink of a red light. It was strange but then, Blowhole's methods were either cliché or strange.

He stirred his fish and then drank up the rest of the coffee. He still hadn't woken up and this was his sixth cup. Maybe a start on the Blowhole mission would wake him up. Or even better, a visit to Mrs. Kitka. He had spent the past few days, thinking about the situation of how Kitka had eaten Fred and he had decided. It wasn't right to doubt her just because of what she ate. He decided to visit her for the first time since then. He hopped out of the fishbowl entrance and looked around. The sky was dark and the stars were beginning to fade as dawn was approaching. It would be time for training soon.

He had to leave soon. He decided to have Kitka tell them where he'd gone. Of course he'd be better off with the team there but he didn't want to risk the lives of his team with Blowhole's new weapon. He suddenly had a thought. Kitka had a nest, so she most likely had eggs or chicks in it, right? So who was the father? Jealousy and embarrassment burned his cheeks with a blush.

"Kitka… you better not be that type of girl…" He muttered.

He vaulted over the fence and tobogganed to the gates of the zoo. Kitka had come by the other day while they were patrolling and left a message on his log, (if she'd listened to it, he'd die) and told him the location of her new nest which lay just outside of the zoo. Has he approached the nest in the tree, he heard someone speaking up there, and it sounded like Kitka.

He climbed up the tree, scaling the height, with some difficulty because of his short flippers but he managed. He peered over the edge of the nest and saw Kitka talking to a large hawk, by the coloration, he figured male (Skipper had never been good with identifying hawks).

"So what if Skipper finds out, what does that have to do with you." The male hawk was saying.

"I just…" Kitka murmured some kind of look of defeat in her eyes. "He just…"

"Oh I get it!" The male laughed, pointing a wing at her. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"No! I just-…"

"Oh Kitka, you never fail to disappoint! Blowhole didn't break your wing a send you here just to make love to a penguin!"

"Shut up!" She shouted.

"Do what pleases you Kitka!" He laughed, folding his wing back. "Just don't forget what you're here for."

"I haven't forgotten the mission." She muttered.

"Good, now just work your magic and then once we're finished, you can have your precious penguin."

"Look!" She shouted, poking his chest with her wing. "I don't love him! I'm just doing what Blowhole sent me to do! I could kill him right now, if need be!"

Skipper shuttered, a tear left his eye as he stared at her. The male looked surprised and then smiled.

"Maybe I'll hold you to that." He smirked. "I'm going to report to Blowhole, get Skipper to the depot and we'll trade him off. Then you don't have to worry your pretty head anymore." He said, ruffling the feathers on her head.

"Very well," She sighed. "What of the other zoo animals though? Must I bring in some of them?"

"No, Blowhole has that covered. He's going to use Skipper for that."

"Is that… necessary?" She asked, looking up.

"Afraid so Kitka, no distractions, duty is duty." He said firmly.

"What will become of him after he's done is job?"

"Does it matter?" He asked, smiling.

"I suppose not."

"Then get a move on, I'll see you at the depot."

With those words, the hawk took flight and soared away into the city. Skipper continued staring at Kitka, he hadn't realized his grip was slipping, and let out a yelp as it came loose and he plummeted to the ground.

When he came to, he saw Kitka's face. His vision was blurry. His head felt light and he felt himself slipping out of awareness.

"I'm sorry Skipper." she said and pecked the end of his beak.

"Kitka-…" He moaned and went back under.


	3. Chapter 2

Please enjoy and review.

STRESS

CHAPTER TWO

Skipper's eyes cleared and the darkness subsided. He rubbed his eyes and tried to sit up. At that moment the darkness came back and he lost all sight. He whipped his head about but nothing came into view. He tried to stand up but his small feet were bound together by some cold, hard material most likely metal. He touched it. Yes, definitely metal. As his eyes cleared and began to adjust he could see the shroud of a door and the room around him. Nothing was in it. No windows, no air vents. Nothing. Suddenly, he heard sounds like footsteps on a stairway. The door was flung open and two crabs rushed forward and snapped down on his flippers. He cried out and struggled as they dragged him out but he couldn't break free.

They dragged him up the circular staircase. It bumped and bruised him but he ground his beak and struggled. When they reach the top, he saw the glass around him and the huge light circling inside and he realized he was in a lighthouse. He gasped as he saw Blowhole on his scooter and the dolphin laughed in his normal, annoying way.

"Blowhole." Skipper said in a low, loathing voice.

"Skipper, it's nice to see you again." he laughed, moving forward.

"Wish I could say the same sea mammal." He muttered.

"Ah you know you're happy to see me." He laughed again and moved forward into Skipper's face. "After all you will be working for me from now on."

"That's really funny, Blowhole." Skipper said.

"Not for long. Strap him in."

Two crabs crawled up and took him up to the glass in front of the light and strapped him to a chair.

"What're you doing?" Skipper asked, looking at them strangely.

"You'll see." Blowhole replied.

The light spun and when it hit him he let out a yelp. It was **so** hot and it burned through him and when he closed his eyes before it, he still saw the blinding light. It kept spinning and burned him.

After five hours…

"Blowhole! Stop! Stop!" he screamed.

"You lasted longer than most, Skipper." Blowhole said and then tapped a grandfather clock and it rang twelve times. "Okay take him to the tower."

"What?" Skipper shouted between screams.

Skipper collapsed about. It had only been a few minutes and the bells were etched in his head. His ears were throbbing and screaming, his strength had disappeared. Blowhole had thrown him in a bell tower.

Five hours later….

"Blowhole! Stop! Stop! God, I can't take it!" Skipper yelled, lying on the floor in agony.

The bell rang twelve times.

Skipper gurgled, water forcing down his throat through a tube. The tube was too big for his throat and pressed against his esophagus and his throat ached. The water was filling his stomach and he felt vomit trying to come up. Twelve bells. Then the tube was pulled out and Skipper was dropped to the ground, retching and vomiting.

"Blowhole! Please… w-water…." Skipper gasped, vomiting sand which had been pumped into his stomach. His throat was so soar and dry, it burned to swallow and ached. His stomach felt like it was about to burst and he felt like he w as bleeding, internally. Twelve bells. Then they dropped a large weight on his stomach and he vomited all the sand.

"Give him some water." Blowhole said.


	4. Chapter 3

Please enjoy.

STRESS

CHAPTER THREE

Skipper threw his head back and forth, some drool flying from his beak and sweat soaking his feathers. He felt pain in his temples and the base of his cerebral cortex. The shocks were burning through his brain, causing him to twitch, sweat and drool. His feet kicked and his flippers gripped the chair arms and relaxed and gripped again.

Finally Blowhole cut off the shocks and removed the wires from his body. He motioned for one of the crabs to take him to the next room and had one of his lobsters bring him a fish. Skipper just lay limp as he was dragged into the next room. And the cycle started again.

Hours later. Skipper woke up. He was in a huge white room, on the floor in front of a bed… His eyes were bloodshot. He felt something different in his mind… and for some reason… his friends' faces were flashing through his mind, almost in his eyes. And though it wasn't an unpleasant sight, it wouldn't fade. He kept looking around but it was etched in his eyes. And it looked like some slideshow and there was… a spider… and a raven's… eye and… and… He screamed and threw himself on the bed, smashing his head against the wall. Needles… needles everywhere… piercing his flesh and injecting their fluids into his body.

"Oh God, Blowhole! What've you done to me?" He screamed so loud his throat was on fire and the muscles strained. Tears were running down his face, his eyes burned and his body shook.

"Are we awake, Skipper?" Blowhole's voice laughed from no where. "Well are you ready?"

"Leave me alone Blowhole1 For the love of God! Please! I'll do any-anything." He was choking and gasping for air.

"Anything?" Blowhole's voice echoed.

"Yes, just stop!" Skipper screamed.

"Would you… kill everyone in the zoo?"

"Yes! Yes! Anything to stop this!"

Skipper awoke, his throat burning and aching, his head was throbbing and his body was aching as well. He was lying in the same bed. It was soaked in sweat. And he could remember vaguely what had just happened. Had he just promised to kill his friends? Two lobsters came through the door. Skipper remembered when Blowhole's whole army had been composed of lobsters but he had changed to crabs as the muscle and lobsters as his private bodyguards. They grabbed him and dragged him out. They dropped him in a chair in another room and it began…

A spider.

Marlene.

A raven's eye.

Private.

A splatter of blood.

A needle.

Kowalski.

A raven's eye.

Rico.

A splatter of blood.

Julien.

A needle.

Marlene.

A splatter of blood.

Private.

A spider.

Kowalski.

A needle.

Rico.

A raven's eye.

Julien.

A needle.

Marlene.

A splatter of blood.

Private.

A spider.

Kowalski.

A raven's eye.

Rico.

A needle.

Julien.

This pattern flashed fifteen times before Skipper's wide eyes. He threw his head from side-to-side. Sweat flew from his feathers. He kept screaming and screaming, even after it finished. And all through the slideshow, he heard… bells twelve every few seconds. And once the slideshow finished and the lights came on… his head froze. His eyes dilated. There were five figures there. As his blurry vision could tell, it was Marlene, Private, Kowalski, Rico, and Julien. The bands released from his flippers and he attacked the figures savagely, ripping them apart.

Blowhole stood on his scooter behind a one-way glass screen and watched Skipper scream and attack, finishing by dropping to the floor and vomiting violently, and once done retching he lay there, sobbing and spitting. His mind was done. He was ready.


	5. Chapter 4

Please enjoy.

STRESS

CHAPTER FOUR

TWO DAYS PERVIOUSLY…

Skipper hadn't returned, from whatever it was he was doing. Kowalski hoped that it was important, and legit. Skipper sometimes had a way of goofing off, like he did with Kitka, he never did anything with the penguins when he had her and perhaps it was for the best that Skipper stayed single. Definitely if Kitka wanted babies. Kowalski shuddered at the thought, and then went on working. The others were still asleep, they'd probably snap up in a few minutes, not use to sleeping late.

Skipper was probably patrolling and just hadn't let them know. Then again, Skipper never worked sloppily. Kowalski began to get worried the more he thought about it. But still, Skipper was tough; he could handle anything no matter what. He continued work on his language translator.

Private woke up startled. His head swiveled to the clock. It was six! They'd overslept by two hours! He quickly jumped out of his bunk and then noticed that Skipper and Kowalski's bunks were empty. He rushed into Kowalski's lab where he saw Kowalski tinkering with one of his inventions.

"K'walski! K'walski!" He cried, running over to the tall intellect. "We've overslept!"

"Yes I know, Private." Kowalski grunted, tightening a bolt on some gizmo.

"But we have to train!" Private cried.

"Not this morning, Skipper's out on a mission and so we're going to take a rain check." He grunted again, yanking on the wrench.

"What mission?"

"I don't know." He shouted, pulling with all his strength.

"Shouldn't we be helping?"

"Skipper… can (grunt) take care of him (grunt) self!" Kowalski shouted finally pulling it into place.

"Okay…" Private, said a little sadly. "I think I'll be taking a walk then."

"Go for it." Kowalski said, pulling out his blow torch and goggles.

Rico woke up with a start. He'd been dreaming about Dr. Blowhole, though that was the only thing he could remember. He grunted and looked at the clock. It was six thirty-two! He got up and up-chucked an anchor, katana, flamethrower, grappling hook, a few smoke bombs, a grenade, dynamite, and several other items which he quickly sorted and readied to attack. Kowalski entered and quickly ran over and pulled the flamethrower out of Rico's flippers.

"It's okay, Rico!" He said, putting the fire mech out.

"Yak! Yak!" He cried, pointing to the clock and at Skipper's bunk.

"Everything's alright! He's just out, he should be back soon."

"Oh…" Rico said and began swallowing all of his stuff again.

"Take a load off Rico." Kowalski said and went back into his lab.

Rico was a little disappointed that he didn't get to use any of the weapons but he supposed that was better than an actual emergency. He went over to his doll and sat down next to her.

Private had reached the outskirts of the zoo and was about to head back when he heard a familiar voice. He peeked over the wall of the zoo grounds and saw Kitka and another falcon talking.

"How much longer?" Kitka was asking.

"It shouldn't be too much longer; they all crack in the end." The male said. "Why are you so hooked on this?"

"It's just…" Kitka bowed her head. "Okay I have a weakness for Skipper!"

"Kitka, that was obvious from the start," The falcon laughed. "And you can love if you want, but it's better to let it go, he's going to die anyway."

"I know…" Kitka sniffed.

"And," The falcon said, putting a wing under her chin lifting her head. "There are some other birds you could be interested in."

He winked at her.

Private didn't understand any of this at all.

"Get away from me!" Kitka cried, pushing him and stepping back, and then stood high. "We have a strictly business relationship."

"You've never been fun." The male said, grudgingly.

"Not with you." She said, narrowing her eyes.

"In any case," He said, straightening up again. "Skipper will be ready soon; the otter is the first target."

"Marlene?" Kitka said.

"Whatever her name is."

"Okay…" Kitka said.

"Which I've noticed Skipper sure spends a lot of time with her…" The male said, giving her an irritating look.

"Oh shut up! "She said.

"If only he would live." The male said, imitating her voice. "You could have all to yourself."

"Just shut up!" Kitka cried.

"Anyway," The falcon said. "Is anyone suspicious?"

"Skipper's only been a couple of hours."

"Still…"

"No, no one is."

"Then we're due to be paid once this is done."

"How much?"

Private didn't hear the next part because, as he was listening his grip had been slipping and he fell on the ground. The two falcons heard the thump and flew over to Private.

"Well Miss Kitka," The male said, looking down on Private. "We have ourselves a little problem to eliminate."

"I'm sorry, Private." Kitka whispered to him, and gave him a sympathetic look.


End file.
